Fashion Investments and M&A

Date: May 2024
Buyer: Frasers Group
Target: Boohoo
Business: Women’s fashion e-tailer
Value: Undisclosed
Details: Frasers Group (owner of Sports Direct, Flannels, House of Fraser and Jack Wills), has again subscribed for shares in Boohoo, taking its current stake in the business from 22.08% (February 2024) to 23.10%. Since October 2023, Frasers Group has been the largest shareholder in Boohoo, and continues its strategy of increasing its shareholding incrementally every few months.

Date: February 2021
Buyer: Boohoo
Target: Dorothy Perkins, Burton and Wallis (part of the Arcadia Group, in administration)
Business: Fashion retailers (womenswear and menswear)
Value: £25.2m
Details: Online fashion retailer Boohoo bought the Dorothy Perkins, Burton and Wallis brands which were put up for sale after Arcadia went into administration. The deal to buy the brands out of administration does not include any of their 214 UK stores. Under the terms of the deal, Boohoo agreed to buy the e-commerce and digital assets and associated intellectual property rights, including customer data, related business information and inventory of the Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis brands. 260 head office roles involved in design, buying, merchandising and digital operations will also be transferred to Boohoo under the deal.

Date: January 2021
Buyer: Boohoo
Target: Debenhams (in administration)
Business: womenswear, menswear and childswear
Value: £55m
Details: Online fashion retailer, Boohoo, has bought the Debenhams brand and website but will not be taking on any of its’ employees or 118 high street stores. The Debenhams chain had already begun the process of closing down after its administrators, FRP Advisory, failed to secure a rescue deal for the business back in December 2020. Boohoo has said the “transformational” deal represents a “fantastic opportunity” to target new customers and launch into the beauty, sports and homewares market for the first time.

Date: June 2020
Buyer: Boohoo Group
Target: Oasis and Warehouse
Business: High street fashion
Value: £5.25 million
Details: Online fashion retailer Boohoo has agreed to buy the online businesses and all associated intellectual property of Oasis and Warehouse from Hilco Capital. The brand and stock of both businesses were initially bought by Hilco Capital when Oasis and Warehouse collapsed into administration in April 2020.

Date: May 2020
Buyer: Boohoo Group
Target: 21Three Clothing (trades as PrettyLittleThing)
Business: Web-based fast fashion retailer
Value: Initial consideration of £269.8m with potential for further consideration based on share price
Details: Online retailer Boohoo has purchased the remaining 34 per cent of its subsidiary company PrettyLittleThing, Boohoo already held a 66 per cent majority stake in the business.

Date: August 2019
Buyer: Boohoo
Business: UK womenswear brands
Value: £18.2 million pre-pack administration
Details: Boohoo has purchased the online businesses of Karen Millen and Coast from administration as part of a pre-pack adminstration deal.

Date: March 2019
Buyer: Boohoo
Target: MissPap
Business: Online womenswear retailer
Value: Undisclosed
Details: Boohoo Group bought the brand and intellectual property assets of MissPap for an undisclosed sum.

Date: February 2017
Buyer: Boohoo
Target: Nasty Gal
Business: Young womens fashion brand
Value: $20m
Details: AIM – listed Boohoo wins US bankruptcy auction to acquire brand.

Date: December 2016
Buyer: Boohoo
Target: Pretty Little Thing
Business: Young fashion brand
Value: £3.3m
Details: Acquisition of 60% stake.